BMPT
The BMPT "Ramka" (Russian: Боевая машина поддержки танков, Boyevaya Mashina Podderzhki Tankov, "Tank Support Fighting Vehicle") is a new Russian armored vehicle designed to support tank and infantry operations, primarily in urban areas. This vehicle is sometimes nicknamed the "Terminator". A small number were delivered to the Russian army for evaluation beginning in 2005. Design history The concept of a vehicle which supports main battle tanks is not new, as in the 1970s the Germans designed the Begleitpanzer (escort tank). It however never entered production due to a lack of interest at the time.[3] The history of the Russian BMPT can be traced back to the First Chechen War. Using conventional armor during urban engagements, Russian forces suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment. While these losses cannot be entirely blamed on technology, it became clear that a dedicated anti-personnel fighting vehicle would provide valuable assistance in an urban environment. Self-propelled anti-aircraft (AA) guns were pressed as a temporary solution in Chechnya. However, these vehicles are not well-armored and do not possess the same obstacle-clearing capability as a main battle tank (MBT). Therefore it was envisioned that the new combat vehicle should be built on a tank chassis and offer the same or better protection as an MBT. The protection of the BMPT is superior to most MBTs, as active and passive protection is used, and additional armor (the vehicle lacks a manned turret), is distributed to the hull of the vehicle. There have been several different designs, for instance the Ob'yekt 193A and the Ob'yekt 745. A mock-up of the Ob'yekt 199 was shown for the first time in public at the BTVT-1997 exhibition. This vehicle was slightly different from the current design, being armed with only a single 30mm gun and with Kornet missiles. The production model of the BMPT was developed in 2002 Description The BMPT is based on the chassis of the T-72 which is used in large numbers by the Russian Army and has been manufactured under license by many other countries. The rear of the driver's compartment, at the front of the vehicle, has been raised, providing greater internal volume. A new mount is equipped with two 30 mm 2A42 dual-feed cannons with a cyclic rate of fire of up to 600 rds/min. A total of 850 rounds of ready use ammunition can be carried. The cannon can fire a wide range of ammunition types including: High Explosive - Tracer (HE-T), Armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS), High Explosive Fragmentation (HE-FRAG) and Armor-Piercing - Tracer (AP-T). A 7.62 mm machine gun is mounted coaxially with the main armament. Four launchers for the Ataka-T anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), which can fire a variety of different warheads, are mounted on either side of the main armament. These include a tandem HEAT warhead to defeat targets fitted with explosive reactive armour. To enable the BMPT to engage targets in both day and night conditions and when the BMPT is stationary or moving, a computerized fire-control system is fitted. It uses proven elements from those fitted to the T-90 MBT.[5] The commander is equipped with a panoramic sight B07-K1, the gunner has a B07-K2 sight with optical and thermal channels and a laser rangefinder. The two operators for the AG-17D each have an "Agat-MR" day/night sight. As an option, the BMPT can be fitted with mine-clearing devices such as the KMT-7 or KMT-8 mine sweepers. T-72 tanks can be converted into BMPT. Armament' The armament includes: · two 30 mm 2A42 dual-feed cannons with 850 rounds · two AG-17D 30 mm grenade launchers with 600 rounds · four launchers for the 130 mm 9M120-1 Ataka-T ATGM · one 7.62mm machine gun PKTM with 2,000 rounds · 2x5 81mm smoke grenade launchers · additional weapons can be installed The vehicle is protected by passive and reactive armour. Operators * Kazakhstan - 3, shown for the first time during the 2011 Constitution Day parade.[6] * Russia - small number (4?) for evaluation. Category:Armoured Vehicles